About S.C. (Sergio) Curto
Introduction
I am an Assistant Professor and Group leader Hyperthermia Research at the Radiotherapy Department of the Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
My group is involved in the patient treatment activities, which include treatment preparation and assessment, establishment of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided deep hyperthermia procedures and hyperthermia systems quality assurance. My research focuses on novel technology for improved cancer treatment using electromagnetic energy, which spans various research phases, from early innovations, development, validation to clinical implementation. My areas of research include magnetic resonance (MR)-guided hyperthermia, ablation, quality assurance, treatment planning and enhanced thermo-sensitive drug delivery.
I work on multidisciplinary research projects with clinicians from radiation oncology, radiology, medical oncology, pathology, molecular genetics and surgery departments, and researchers from the academic and medical device industry.
My research group is supported by national and international funding schemes as Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) Dutch Research Council (NWO), Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, and industry.
Focus Area
My research is driven by a strong commitment to developing and implementing innovative technologies that improve outcomes for cancer patients. I focus on thermotherapy—heating tumors to 39–45°C to enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This approach provides a treatment option for patients with challenging, and very often untreatable diagnoses, such as bulky-inoperable and recurrent tumors.
A major challenge in hyperthermia is achieving safe, controlled, and non-invasive heating of deep-seated tumors. At Erasmus MC, where hyperthermia is part of clinical routine, I advance this field by improving electromagnetic energy delivery and integrating precise 3D temperature monitoring.
Field(s) of expertise
Education and career
- 2010 - PhD: Antenna development for radio frequency hyperthermia applications, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Dublin, Ireland
- 2005 - Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering, TU Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, First class honours degree
- 2005 - Degree in Technical Telecommunications Engineering, University of Alcala, Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Publications
Teaching activities
- KT3505 Complexe diagnose-therapie-combinaties. Klinische Technologie, joint program of TU Delft and Erasmus MC
- Teaching during the visit in Erasmus MC of students The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- Guess lectures at The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- Klifios Clusterscholing RT, Erasmus University Medical Center
Other positions
- Chair of the Hyperthermia Focus Group within the European Society of Radiation Oncology (ESTRO)
- Course co-director of the first European Thermotherapy School, endorsed by ESTRO and ESHO.
Scholarships, grants, and awards
- (2024) Thermoradiotherapy for locally Advanced head and Neck Cancer patients- a phase I dose finding study (TANCA-I).
- (2023) Development of personalized MR-guided thermo-chemotherapy for breast conserving surgery (CARES)
- (2023) Electromagnetic sensing, video control and metamodelling in thermotherapy of advanced H&N cancers (SENS-THERM)
- (2023) Postoperative Re-irradiation with or without Hyperthermia:Toxicity, quality of life and survival in patients with locoregional recurrent breast cancer (RT-HYPE).
- (2023) Real-time Absolute Dose-control In Anti-cancer THErmotherapy (RADIATHE)
- (2022)Multi-coil magnetic resonance guided hyperthermia for precision treatment of advanced head and neck carcinoma
- (2021) Hyperthermia boosting the effect of Radiotherapy (HYPERBOOST)
- (2020) Learning-based Control in MR-guided Hyperthermia for 3D Adaptive Cancer Therapy (Learn-2-Act)
- (2019) Optimizing delivery and effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients using thermotherapy under image-guidance
- (2007) PhD student grant
- (2006) Low –cost high performance antennas for UWB systems
- (2005) Master student grant
